When Earth Meets Stars
by Nom Tasty
Summary: AU. Unknown to everyone, Lucy and Gajeel are mated. No one knows that they met before the Phantom Lord attack, and things are fine. And when they met again during the attack… Gajeel shows just how loyal he is. Lucy/Gajeel.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. It's kind of depressing, really... None of the characters belong to me, blah blah blah... Just enjoy it, okay?**

**Summary: Unknown to everyone, Lucy and Gajeel are mated. No one knows that they met before the Phantom Lord attack, and things are fine. And when they met again during the attack… Gajeel shows just how loyal he is.**

**Ok, so I was looking through the Fairy Tail Fanfics, and noticed that there were barely any LucyxGajeel ones! Why? They'd be awesome! So I used my magic fingers and brain, and decided to write one. As the summery shows, it is meh-ish, I don't know if it is original or not. But even if it's not original, all that matters that if it's good. That's if, so no promises. So sit back, relax with a large cup of whatnot, and enjoy my story.**

**Please note that it may not be accurate in terms of time, but it will fit together.**

**~Nom Nom :3**

**PS: I just realised that I've sort of whored Lucy out... She's not a slut, nor is she easy, but just someone who would fit with anyone, in my opinion.**

**PPS: As you can tell, it's rated T because of my constant inability not to cuss. Don't forget Gajeel, either...**

* * *

**When Earth Meets Stars**

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**Part 1 – Their True Past Together**

Bunny girl. It was Gajeel's exclusive nickname to Lucy. Fairy Tail thought that it was created when Lucy danced behind Gajeel in a bunny costume when he sang on stage, as his apology. However, Lucy and Gajeel knew better. It was something that belonged in their past - deep in their past. Before Lucy joined Fairy Tail, before Gajeel joined Phantom Lord. Even before Lucy and Gajeel lost their respective parents Layla and Metalicana.

Lucy Heartfilia was the only heiress to the Heartfilia Empire. Being the 'little princess' of the Heartfilia family, she had a lonely childhood. She was allowed no normal friends, or to "taint herself with the street filth" as her father said, so she never left her mansion. Being an only child of a busy father and an ill mother, she never had anyone to turn to. Even her nanny was changed every two weeks for 'protection', but Lucy didn't understand that. All she knew was to never get used to them, or even like them, because they would always leave her.

So, what was she to do? She never liked dolls or tea parties with her maids, she preferred to be more hands-on and knee-deep in mud, but her father said that "his little princess should act like one", so she was forbidden from doing so. So she spent her days in boredom, just counting the seconds go by. She was a smart girl, and was aware of things that would surprise people, and she knew that nothing interested her. Until she found books.

Books became her life. It started when she was four years old, and one of her nannies gave her a book. She said to keep it a secret, because her father wouldn't like it, so Lucy did so, albeit warily. Yet, when she saw the dark red leather cover, the golden words of 'Rerum ad Esto' hand written a third of the way down it, the thick pages with handwritten words... She fell in love. She fell in love with the feel of the paper between her fingers, the smell of the parchment, the elegance of the writing, she loved it all.

'Rerum ad Esto' was a strange book. There were hundreds of pages, with each page showing a piece of indecipherable text. Each one was written with a different thickness of ink, different hand writings, some even in other languages. Yet none of that mattered to her. It was the first gift she ever gotten from anyone that she actually liked. She always scoured the book's contents for any logical way to read it, but it was all gibberish to her. All except one piece.

It was located about two-thirds from the front, and was written in thick black ink. The words were elegantly strung across the page, showing that the writer was well educated and used to writing. The text was incredibly short compared to others, perhaps the shortest, and was set plainly in the centre of the page without a title. It read:

"When earth meets stars only ash remain, to rise like Phoenix or burn the same."

The fact that it was the only piece from the book which she could understand made it that much more special. She didn't care that she couldn't understand the mass of it, nor the fact that the only piece she could read was a single sentence. She loved it because it was so unorthodox. Nothing else, not even other books would contain seemingly important yet undecipherable text, with only a random piece of legible information inside. It exited her, how it just was in its own realm of order, imagination and complexity. For the first time in her life, something had gripped her thirst for more, and she needed so much more.

But how could she? She couldn't leave the house, so buying books were not an option. She could ask the maids, but they'd either refuse or get her the childish picture books, even if she knew that she could do better. The library. The mansion had its own library, complete with an amazing amount of variation, from fantasy fiction to law books. She even remember her father boasting about its collection to another person during one of his many parties.

Deciding on the course of action she asked her nanny (who had now changed from the one who gave her the book) to take her to the library. There was a small complaint, but Lucy's puppy dog eyes made her cave to her demands almost instantly. She realised that now the nannies were becoming less strict and more complacent and easier to manipulate.

When she entered the library, her heart sped up for the first time in her life. It was anticipation. Books of all shapes and sizes lined the shelves, colours from black leather to simple blue plastic. Some of the spines were cracked from years and years of use, while other were I'm pristine condition, where the spine looked as good as new. Stories about love, adventure and loss. Books about history, geography and politics. Everything imaginable filled the shelves, and more. She was in heaven.

Over the next few years, she rarely left that library. The servants were glad that she had finally found a hobby, and rarely disturbed her. They didn't even bring her meals, just prepared them for her. She even sleeped in the room. Her father was proud of her, thinking that she was learning all the ropes of business skills so she could become a brilliant owner when she inherited the business. However, none of these were correct. She just wanted to learn.

When she was six years old, she found something. Behind one of the bookcases in the farthest corner in the library was a passage. She knew her house was old, and used to be a royal residence before the Heartfilia family purchased it, so unknown and hidden passages to escape were frequent, but most sealed off since they moved in. This one, however was not. It was small, with the walls and ceiling clamped close enough together so that a grown man would need to crawl. The floor was thick in dust, and spider webs stretching from wall to wall.

It was unknown. The first time she hadn't known where something led, and it excited her. She felt like an explorer, one of the adventurers in the books she read, and she liked the feeling. She wanted to follow the passage, explore it, and hopefully see the world beyond the great stone wall of the grounds. She wanted to see if it lead to freedom.

Being a smart girl, she knew she couldn't just dive in. She was unprepared, and her servants would look for her. This would be closed off in a heartbeat, so she needed to play it cool and get what she needed.

It took about a week, but Lucy managed to gather a torch, screwdriver, knife, spare clothes, food and water in a rucksack, and was fully prepared. She waited until nightfall, and changed into some of her 'explorer clothes', which was some pants, a shirt, a thick coat and boots, all in black. She shaped a fake body out of cushions and books under her blanket, and sneaked to the secret passage. She slipped inside and closed it behind her, turning her torch on. Smiling happily, she stealthy followed the passage.

As far as Lucy could tell, the passage was built into the foundations of the house. It was weaved into the walls and floors, and Lucy could hear noises through the stone. She passed what sounded like the kitchens, her father's study, and even her mother's room. That was distinct because she heard what sounded like her mother's Celestial Spirits talking with her. Being extra careful, she eased herself past it.

It was a couple more twists and turns before Lucy reached some steps down. It was quieter now, with the rooms nearby either empty or store rooms. She followed the dusty passage as it suddenly turned into a stone tunnel. She felt excited and felt like she was near the end. The stone was a greyish colour, the same colour as the mountains she could see past the walls. Excitement flooding her system, she follows the cave.

It didn't take long after that for her to find the exit. Being a simple wooden door, with rusted old chains on it made it look very inconspicuous. However, it easily pushed open by her soft touch. It made a horrific creaking sound as she stepped out into a large cave. Stalactites covered the ceiling, with all thicknesses and lengths, while few stalagmites rose from the floor. The rocks had an unusual glow to them, the grey stone looking more blue. A waterfall cascaded down one side, creating a small lake in the corner of the cavern, with a large exit to the opposite of it, with pale moonlight shining in.

In the very centre of the cave, about ten steps in front of her, was a boy, not that much older than her, with black hair and piercing red eyes, which glowed as they scanned Lucy. He wore only some white shorts, leaving the rest of his skin revealing, which was covered in scars. He had two rather large studs in his forearms and one in each ear at the earlobe. Behind the boy, was a creature that made Lucy's eyes widen and a grin spread across her face. It was a dragon. It looked like it was made purely of metal sheets, with its head a solid block. It had glowing red eyes which observed her, and its body looked like a mass of interconnecting metal pieces, with four strong legs and two large winds placed at about its shoulders. Its tail was curved towards the boy, but it didn't touch him.

"Brilliant..." Lucy smiled.

* * *

Gajeel Redfox had been adopted by a dragon. Ever since he could remember, the Iron Dragon Metalicana had been his father. He had learnt almost everything he knew from him, from reading to magic. However, Metalicana instructed on a strict regime, so he never had any interaction with anyone other than Metalicana. He wasn't lonely, but he was just... Bored, to lack a better word. Metalicana was a dragon of few words during training, even fewer otherwise. Gajeel hardly found a need to speak.

His earliest memory was training with Metalicana. They were in their cave, which he had learnt to call home, and he was being taught the basics. He was learning 'Iron Dragon's Roar' and was doing so well for a four year old. He even managed to sustain it for about five seconds, which even impressed Metalicana. Not that the dragon admired it, but Gajeel knew, and it made him feel good.

When he was six years old, he gained his first studs. Metalicana said it was proof that his body was becoming one of an Iron Dragon Slayer's, which made him beam in pride. He was able to eat iron easily, even though he thought he'd probably break his teeth, and his 'Iron Dragon's Roar' was stronger now, and he had began to learn other offensive and defensive moves. His magic power was great, and he was proud of himself.

By the time he was eight years old he had gained two more studs, one in each ear, and his eyes were now red. He was strong, with enough power to beat some adult Mages, but he felt empty still. The feeling had grown, and the boredom he began to feel when he was six had grown significantly, and now it felt like he was in physical pain. He never once voiced his feelings, but he knew that Metalicana knew something was wrong. He never said anything to Gajeel, which made him thankful that his dragon wasn't one to pry.

It happened on an usual night for the Iron Dragon Slayer. He had ate his fill of iron, curtsy of Metalicana, and they were both preparing for sleep. Gajeel usually slept leaning on Metalicana, because he felt most comfortable there. Yet that night, Metalicana took longer than usual. Gajeel didn't understand until he smelt it. Vanilla. Pure, untainted and extremely potent. Just one whiff made Gajeel memorise the scent unconsciously, earning an unseen smirk from his dragon.

It took a few seconds, but a small door creaked open. It was the locked wooden door with rusted chains in the far end of the cave, the one Metalicana forbade him from opening, much to his displeasure. A girl stepped out and trotted into the cave, her long blonde hair whisking around her, amplifying her scent. She had not spotting him nor his dragon yet until she was about ten steps away from him. Her chocolate brown eyes looked at him, making him stare at her. She had skin like a princess should have: pale and flawless. She wore a black outfit that made her look like a wannabe ninja, and she had a small bag on her back. Her eyes moved to Metalicana behind him and he saw her smile. Smile. It made his heart skip a beat, confusing him. It was just a smile, why did it make him react like so? He did admire the fact that she didn't scream when she saw the dragon, but smiling... That made him like her. She was brave, something that, judging by Metalicana's stories, was a rare thing in people now.

"Brilliant..." He heard her whisper with her smile.

Brilliant? She had just saw a dragon, a supposedly extinct creature which could eat her and she said brilliant? He was liking her more and more. Not only did she have guts, but she looked like she was enjoying herself here.

"Who are you, young lady?" Metalicana asked, surprising both Lucy and Gajeel. Gajeel was shocked that he talked to her, a feat that he rarely did, even to him. Lucy was just shocked that he spoke, but she recovered herself quickly.

"Father said not to say my name to strangers." She said cautiously.

"You can trust us." She shook her head. "Why don't you just say your full name?" Metalicana asked, knowing exactly who she was. Her smell was incredibly unique, and reeked of the mansion on the other side of the mountain.

She smiled at that. "I'm Lucy." She said, doing a small curtsy, picking up the hem of an invisible dress. "Nice to be of your acquaintance."

"I'm Metalicana, and this is Gajeel." He introdiced.

Gajeel snorted. Not only had the girl curtsied, like a princess would've, but she said 'nice to be of your acquaintance', like only a princess would. Her clothes highly doubted that theory, with the layers of dirt and dust on them.

Lucy heard the boy snort at her. It made her laugh. She didn't know why, but the snort completely shattered all tension and hostility towards the no and the dragon. He was the first person to do something else, rather than fawn over her or lecture her about the 'great skills of business'.

"So, you think it's funny, bunny girl?" Gajeel said with a smile. He didn't know why, but he had an impulse to call her by a nickname, and it was either a toss up between bunny girl, because of a bunny stitched onto her backpack that he saw with his enhanced vision, or ninja woman, which sounded... Harsh, which didn't suit her.

Lucy's eyes pricked with tears. Gajeel panicked for a moment until he saw her smile and realised it was tears of happiness. He couldn't understand why he felt relieved that she wasn't upset, and why he felt proud that he made her happy, but he just did. And he liked it.

Lucy, on the other hand, was ecstatic. No one had ever given her a nickname before. It was always 'Miss Heartfilia' or 'Miss Lucy', but nothing without any form of honorific. The best she ever had gotten was 'Lucy-san', which was only once from one of her nannies. She had only read about them in books, but they never said how it made people feel so... Warm, so happy. Smiling, she realised that if she worked this right with her trips away from her mansion, she could be friends with Gajeel for a very long time.

The two children talked for hours, while Metalicana had his first ever smile Gajeel had seen him with in all his years with him. Gajeel just thought that he was happy because there was another person there, but Metalicana was pleased for Gajeel. Even though he mainly cared for only himself, Gajeel had taken up a special residence in his heart - not that he would admit it to anyone - and now Gajeel had found his detained mate. He just hoped life didn't intervene...

* * *

Over the next four years, Lucy visited Gajeel and Metalicana every Friday night. Once there, Gajeel and Lucy would talk about anything from the previous week, from the weather to magic. After, Metalicana would teach them both, Lucy the absolute basics while Gajeel more advanced Iron Dragon Slayer Magic. For them both, it was the happiest they had ever been, spending time together. But life, as everyone knew, wouldn't allow their happiness to last.

It all started to unravel when Lucy's mother got sick. It was the 4th July X777, and Lucy had just recently turned ten years old while Gajeel was twelve years old. Gajeel had prepared a very special present for her, an unbreakable metal collar with engravings of dragons on it. Metalicana had insisted on enchanting it with magic so only the wearer could take it off, which Gajeel couldn't understand. Then Lucy barged through the door and for the first time, he had seen her face in utter pain.

"Bunny girl, what's wrong?" He asked, running to her. He was completely worried, his mind thinking of all possible possibilities that could've happened to her. Was she hurt? He couldn't smell her blood. Was she in pain? Why was she crying?

"M-Mama..." She sniffed, hugging him and burying her face into his chest. "S-She's n-n-not w-well..." She sniffed. "They s-s-say she m-m-may d-d-d-die..."

Instinctively, he hugged her closer and parted her head. Over the past four years, Gajeel had gained many more studs all over his body, while Lucy had gained just one in either earlobe. He hair had grown, and was tied with a simple blue ribbon. "Don't worry..." He bushed her cries. He didn't want to promise her false hopes, but he needed t say something to make her feel better. "Hey..." He said pulling away from her so she could look at his face. "Happy birthday."

She smiled, and attempted to push back the waves of tears that were threatening to fall. She had been waiting all week to meet Gajeel again, and she wasn't going to spent it worrying. She broke apart from Gajeel and looked at what he had gotten her, and gasped. She was absolutely amazed by the intricate details engraved onto the metal choker, which had a simple clasp on it. "It's made so only the wearer can take it off." He smiled, putting it on her. 'It shows the world you are mine.' The words hung in the air, unspoken, but the meaning fully shown. Yet, this only made Lucy smile. She wouldn't take it off.

Today their usual routine was removed for just a relaxing time. Some may have said it was a party, but there was only the three of them, and Metalicana's presence was like the air, easily forgotten. The two ate iron, something that Lucy craved for all week but only ate at this time, so to not expose anything. Lucy was able to eat it, which wasn't surprising since she knew some Iron Dragon Slayer Magic. She still had her Celestial Spirits, but she never really used them, as her father forbade their use.

Their departure came once again. This time, Gajeel became brave and gave Lucy a kiss on the lips. After, he pulled back to see her reaction, and realised that he made the right choice. She was beaming, the first full and pure smile she had worn since entering, making Gajeel's heart skip a beat.

"Until next time." She whispered.

"Until next time." He agreed. They parted, with Lucy giving him one last look before exiting through the wooden door.

That was the last time he saw his Lucy.

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**There we go.**

**Ok, to be honest I wrote this about a year or so ago and just found it, so I thought why not post it? Could you review with what you think?**

**Also, this is going to be a short story, probably 4 or 5 chapters. I just want to write up until a certain point, so…**

**~Nom Nom :3**


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